


A Different Path

by Jingle



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Monsters Inc (2001), Monsters University (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Glasses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 22:24:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5982763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jingle/pseuds/Jingle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Randy blinks behind his large, round glasses. Wow, his roommate is <i>cute</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Different Path

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LiesArePartiallyTrue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiesArePartiallyTrue/gifts).



> For the following prompt:  
> mike and randy start dating shortly after they meet - and their friendship isn't all that deep yet, but they do have a steady enough romantic relationship and they're a compatible pair, so they work. randy still has his anxiety and he still definitely worries about what people might think of him, but maybe the thing him and mike have helps randy learn to appreciate his life as it is and embrace himself, because mike is generally unfazed by the public opinion and it rubs off on randy, too.
> 
> basically, what i want to see is randy being skitterish about holding hands with mike in public and not fitting in at first, being a little jumpy because he kind of still doesn't believe somebody wants to date him as he is, then starting to stand up for himself bit by bit, maybe even actually joining ok instead of sulley and making a family out of them.
> 
> +++ if he keeps the glasses.

Randy blinks behind his large, round glasses. Wow, his roommate is _cute._

He’s never been particularly open about his attraction to male monsters. It’s an odd thing, homosexuality in the monster world: Monsters reproduce in various ways, so it’s not always a big deal for that purpose. Many heterosexual couples can’t birth their own children together, anyway. But for whatever reason, it’s still less common for any given monster to be queer in any sense, and Randy has always been unusual enough as it was – a nervous little guy with huge glasses who disappears when startled.

So he says nothing. Mike eagerly introduces himself, and Randy thinks they stand a good shot of getting along, especially when Mike seems impressed with his invisibility… _Quirk_. Mike opens his mouth to say something more about this ability, but never actually speaks. Randy isn’t sure what that’s all about.

Mike asks him out about three weeks into the school year. Randy had thought he’d been subtle about his crush, but his jumpiness makes subtlety hard. He should have known Mike would figure it out; he’s so _smart_. And funny. And really cute. So naturally, Randy wants to say yes. He hesitates because he wonders if it’s a prank for a moment. It wouldn’t be the first one he’s been made victim to, already. Monsters University may be his dream school for its academic claims to fame, but some of the other students are real jerks. That no-good _Sullivan_ , for instance…

But then Randy sees the look of nervousness and earnest in Mike’s single eye, and so he gulps and nods. Maybe… This will be good.

And it is. It’s pleasant, at least – but it’s certainly not easy. Mike is affectionate. Not overly so, but he constantly reaches to hold Randy’s hand as they walk to their classes, and it gives Randy a start in more ways than one. For one thing, seriously, that little green hand seems to come out of nowhere. Moreover, he worries what other people will think. _Randy_ thinks Mike is the best and probably way too good for him, but other people seem to think Mike’s less than cool. It doesn’t change what Randy wants or how he feels, but it does make him a little nervous about being public with their relationship. And again, it’s uncommon, and he doesn’t want to be branded as weird…er than people already have him branded.

Some people do comment. The amazing thing, though, is how Mike doesn’t seem to care. Sometimes he’ll snap back something witty, but most of the time, he just ignores them with a roll of the eye.

“How do you do that?” Randy asks Mike one day during a study session – although their study sessions have really become times for cuddling and sometimes kissing and pulling out the occasional flashcard. Mike blinks in confusion.

“Do what?”

“Not care what people think… I mean, I’m always worried about people liking me and all that. I wish I wasn’t, but I _am_. I want to be _popular_.”

“Well, I sure like ya,” Mike points out cheekily. He kisses Randy as if to prove his point. “Really, though, Randy, I guess I’ve just always been proud of who I am… I don’t see why you wouldn’t be, too.”

Randy makes a face. “Seriously?”

“Yeah! You’re great, Randy!” Mike enthuses. “Look, all those popular guys – I know you don’t even like them.”

“Well, they’re jerks.”

“They are,” Mike agrees. “You care about being smart, and a good scarer. And _you_ are smart, and _you_ have everything it takes to be a good scarer! So just remember to see yourself like you see others. Like you’re judging somebody else, not yourself.”

As the weeks go by, Randy keeps this advice in mind, and honestly, he finds himself growing more confident. It really helps him feel good to look at himself the way he looks at others. He’s gaining respect for himself.

Incidentally, he soon loses all respect he had for that rotten Sullivan – not that there was much there in the first place. Okay, so there was never _any_ respect there. Whatever. The point is, Sullivan’s stupid immature behavior gets Mike (and Sullivan himself) kicked out of the Scaring program. It’s completely unfair, and Randy wants to protest to Dean Hardscrabble, but he hasn’t gotten _that_ confident. He doubts anyone is _that_ confident. He doesn’t know what to do.

It kind of causes Randy to backslide, and he starts to get paranoid about his relationship with Mike. Like, _actually_ paranoid. He worries that now that Mike has a chance to re-examine his life, he will realize he can do so much better than Randy. He starts to bring this up… Maybe too often. Mike goes from comforting to eventually being annoyed. This only amps up the paranoia on Randy’s part. Eventually, though, Mike sits Randy down for “A Talk”. Randy is sure he’s about to be broken up with.

Instead, Mike takes a deep breath and says, “I love you.”

Randy blinks. “What?”

“I know it’s going to sound like I’m saying this to calm you down, but I’m not. I’m saying this because I have time to think about what really matters to me. And being a scarer is still way up there, but nothing compares to what we have. Sometimes it’s tough, but I’ve never wanted out. Not for a second.”

Randy totally does _not_ tear up behind his glasses at that, and his voice is totally _not_ wavering as he tells Mike he loves him, too, and he knows he didn’t say it to ease his mind, but it _does_ help. And this stays true as time goes on.

Time also presents an opportunity: If Mike can gather a winning team for the Scare Games, he will be allowed to re-enter the Scaring Program. The Fraternity Mike finds is a sad bunch, but Randy is more than happy to become the required final member of Oozma Kappa. And the rest is history. No, it really is: Oozma Kappa may not win the scare games; he and Randy may get kicked out of college in the long run… But they go on to be the best scarer-and-scare-assistant team Monsters, Inc. has ever seen. Later, Randy and Mike become Monsters, Inc.’s most celebrated CEO and comedian ever… But that’s another story. (They also hold a place in history as the first monsters James P. Sullivan ever apologized to, which is probably what Randy is the most proud of – in a smug way, admittedly. But that doesn’t change the fact that Sulley is a far better monster now, and Mike’s highly competent laugh assistant.)

All in all, things are pretty amazing.

“You know, when we met, I almost told you to lose the glasses,” Mike tells Randy one evening as they’re snuggled up on the couch in their apartment.

“Why?”

“Because they give you away when you turn invisible.”

That makes sense; it’s the reason why Randy never wore his glasses while scaring. Which begs the question… “Why _didn’t_ you, then?”

Mike smiles and reaches for Randy’s glasses, gently poking the bridge. “Because they look adorable on you.” He kisses Randy’s cheek, and Randy’s scales turn bright pink. Mike gives an amused chuckle. “So does that color, actually.”

Randy laughs along and grins. Never, not in a million years, did he think he’d be this happy.

**Author's Note:**

> This was an absolute delight to write, and all my thanks to my lovely prompter for giving me the little push I needed to let my love for this ship show!


End file.
